“Oh-kay.” I keep a neutral, tight smile on my face. “Do you need any help with the boxes?”
Naomi waves me off. “No, I’ll just be keeping these out here until my brother arrives with the moving lorry.”
“Oh.” If it were me, I’d be terrified somebody might steal my belongings, but Naomi doesn’t appear to be at all fazed. “Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be here until five.”
“You’re funny. Jason isn’t coming untilnextweek.” She laughs. “The soonest I can move into my new flat is next Tuesday.”
I resist the urge to remind her that blocking the halls for that long can be a fire hazard and is against the terms of the lease.
“Uh-huh.” I locate my keys and shove them into the door. Cracking the door open, I quickly place my new cactus on the side table and the shopping bags on the ground. “Is it far?”
“It’s in Ealing.”
Ealing is on the other side of London. So yes, it is very far.
“What made you pick that area?” I ask.
“It was the only flat I could manage. I’ve been looking for weeks. What about you? Have you found a new place yet?”
I shake my head. “No, but I have a few months, so I’m not too worried.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re wrong.” Naomi snorts. “You and I moved in about the same time. Mine expires in May. You’d better check yours.” She looks me over.
I frown. She has to be wrong. There is no chance I’m supposed to be out in May. The fall term doesn’t begin until the end of September. Logically, it would make sense to have the terms of the lease end with the last term of the academic year.
“I’ll do that.”
“Anyway, thanks for taking ownership of Freddy.” She offers me a curt nod and closes her door.
Reentering my own apartment, I walk into my bedroom and seek out the small safe I store my important documents in. I shuffle through them until I locate the yellow folder with the lease Liz and I signed earlier this year.
Opening it, I skim the top line. I see the academic year, our names, and the terms of the deposit. When I reach the bottom of the page, I read,This agreement shall be in effect from the first day of the academic term, 4/9 through the final day, 7/5.
Wait a moment. April 9—that can’t be right, can it? We moved in three years ago in September.
Taking out my phone, I quickly call Liz. She’s the best person to settle this once and for all.
“If it isn’t London’s soon-to-be next big designer herself,” she answers.
“Hey, Liz.”
“I meant to ask you in the text, but where would you like to have dinner tonight? Mame’s? Somewhere higher end? There’s a new place called The Tank I’ve heard good reviews about. I’ll let you pick.”
“Um, anywhere is fine.” My eyes continue to stare at the paper. “We can decide in a couple minutes. I’m calling for a different reason. I just wanted to ask you something.”
“Go on. What’s on your mind?”
“Naomi caught me in the hallway a few minutes ago, and something she said is rubbing me the wrong way.”
Liz huffs. “She’s just jealous. Ignore whatever she’s poked fun at.”
“No, it’s nothing like that. She’s moving and mentioned something about how I’d better hurry up and find a new place too. Ithoughtour lease ended in July, and looking at the lease, that’s also what I see, but something’s off.”
“Send me a photo of it. It’ll be easier if I see what you’re talking about.”
I lower my phone and open the photo app. “It’s coming to you now.”
“I see it. Um ... it looks like this says the move-in date was fourth of September and the move out date is seventh of May.”
